Utilisation of Toion Sewage. 
for any other purpose. It was decided, therefore, to devote the 
produce of one portion of the sewage-irrigated grass land to be 
cut green and given to milking cows. It, nevertheless, seemed 
desirable to test the fattening qualities of such produce, when 
cut green, and given to stock in the fresh state ; and also to 
determine how far it is adapted for making into hay. Accord- 
ingly, it was proposed that the produce of a second portion of 
the experimental land should be given in the green state, to 
fattening oxen ; and that that of a third should be made into 
hay, provided that the season and other circumstances would 
allow of it. 
" Assuming that the ultimate object of the experiments is 
to provide such information as may be taken as the basis of 
arrangements for the application of the sewage of towns in the 
manner the most advantageous both to urban and rural interests, 
it is sought to determine, as far as possible : — 
" 1. The amount and composition of the produce, in relation 
to the volume of water supplied to the land by irrigation, to the 
amount of manurial constituents so applied, and to^ the popu- 
lation contributing the manurial constituents to the water. 
" 2.' The most profitable method of applying the produce ; that 
is whether it should be used in the green state or as hay ; 
whether for the production of milk or of meat ; and whether it 
should be consumed alone, or in conjunction with other food. 
" The 15 acres of grass land consisted of two fields, the one 
of five, and the other of ten acres. For the purpose of the expe- 
riments they were laid out, by Mr. Bickford, in small surface 
drains, or ' runs,' according to the plan described in Vol. XIII. 
of the 'Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England;' 
and, at the upper end of each a tank holding 3^ tons has been 
fixed, by means of which the amount of sewage applied to any 
given portion of land is accurately gauged. From these tanks, 
too, when full, samples of the sewage-water are taken, at stated 
intervals, for the determination of its chemical composition. The 
field of 10 acres has been divided, by an iron bullock-fence, 
into two equal parts. There were thus at command three por- 
tions of land of five acres each ; these were respectively set out 
into four plots to be treated as follows : — 
" Plot 1. To be unsewaged. 
" Plot 2. To be irrigated with sewage at the rate of 3000 tons 
per acre per annum. 
" Plot 3. To be sewaged at the rate of 6000 tons per acre per 
annum. 
" Plot 4. To be sewaged at the rate of 9000 tons per acre per 
annum. 
